Archaeology Notes

The bod (booth) belonged to German merchants belonging to the Hanseatic League. The Hanseatic League was a mercantile league of medieval N German towns. It came into existence gradually as the Hansas-companies of merchants dealing with foreign lands-and the cities from which they operated drew closer together as a way of protecting themselves from foreign competition and piracy. In the 13th cent. more than 70 German cities joined in treaties of mutual protection. The Hanseatic League was formally organized in 1358, and in 1370 it won a trade monopoly in all of Scandinavia. The league prospered in the following centuries but went out of existence in the 17th cent. BREMEN, HAMBURG, and LUBECK are still known as Hanseatic cities.